Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 410: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide a map showing the property boundary between lands owned by her Department in Littlepace, Dublin 15 and the private homes at Pace Road, Clonee, Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21666/07]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that she has encroached on land owned by residents (details supplied) in Dublin 15, in constructing a new school building; if she will compensate residents for this infraction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21681/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 425 together.

I understand that the Deputy refers to an ownership dispute regarding the boundary between land owned by the Department and adjacent private houses.

The Department acquired this land early 2006 and title to it (including the disputed piece) is registered in the Property Registration Authority. Some months ago, while the school building project on the site was under way, a number of residents in the private houses made a claim to ownership of the strip of land in question. In order not to delay the school building project while this claim was being examined, my officials immediately instructed the building contractor to proceed to complete the school excluding the disputed portion of land. The school is now completed.

As there is ambiguity as to ownership of the land in question the Department has requested the Office of the Chief State Solicitor to write to the legal representatives of the owners of the adjacent properties in an effort to agree a resolution to the situation. I do not propose to release the site map concerned while the matter is under consideration with the Chief State Solicitor's Office and until a resolution has been agreed.